PORTLAND, ORE. — The Nuggets rode the wave as long as they could, mixing and matching and patching and cajoling. Another night, another lineup. Another ‘step up’ player to lean on. And all the while facing the NBA’s top teams.

Inevitably, there were going to be diminishing returns.

The Nuggets are at that point. No Danilo Gallinari, no Emmanuel Mudiay, no Jusuf Nurkic and no Wilson Chandler. On any given night there’s been no Jameer Nelson, no Darrell Arthur, no Gary Harris and no Joffrey Lauvergne. The Nuggets have not spent one day this season with a full, available roster. And with Chandler being out for the season, they never will. Read more…

LeBron James brings his team to Denver on Tuesday night. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Defending star players is a tricky business. Most teams need to devote additional resources to slow said star. So, double-teams, zone-ish or straight-up zone defenses, multiple eyes on the star, etc. Problem is, that distorts a team’s ability to defend everyone else on the court with the star. Be bold enough to defend that star one-on-one, and that star might burn you in the end.

The Nuggets face the star of all stars on Tuesday night in Cleveland’s LeBron James. They’ll have a plan for James, and that plan will have to carry through four quarters. Especially the fourth quarter. During this stretch where the Nuggets have lost five of their last six games, star players have repeatedly hurt the Nuggets in the fourth quarter, when games have been in the balance.

SAN ANTONIO — Doug Moe strolled into the Nuggets locker room after their game at San Antonio on Saturday wearing bermuda shorts. Because, A) It was so hot in San Antonio, why wouldn’t you wear bermuda shorts? And B) he’s Doug Moe.

Former Nuggets head coach Doug Moe during a Nuggets loss to the LA Lakers in Denver on May 20, 1985. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

And if there’s anything we all learned about Moe during his productive and wildly entertaining career as Nuggets coach, it’s this: Doug Moe does whatever Doug Moe wants to do.

On Saturday, he wanted to meet the newest Nuggets coach, Michael Malone.

So, after the game he did just that. Moe met with Malone and shared those unmistakable Doug Moe stories along with words of wisdom for the current coach and the rest of the staff. Read more…

Chris Bosh (1) of the Miami Heat reacts after scoring a basket during overtime of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at American Airlines Arena on Dec. 25, 2015 in Miami, Fla. (Rob Foldy, Getty Images)

Spotlight on Chris Bosh, F, Miami Heat

When: Chris Bosh. Yes, that Chris Bosh. Last week was one big showcase for the Miami big man, and that earned him The Denver Post’s NBA player of the week award.

What’s up: Bosh averaged 26.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in three games. He shot 47.7 percent from the field and averaged a steal per game as Miami won two of the three.

Background: This has been a solid season for Bosh, who helped put the Heat in the third slot in the Eastern Conference playoff race going into Saturday. And it’s been a bounce-back season for Bosh, who played in only 44 games last season. He was diagnosed with blood clots in a lung, a condition known as pulmonary embolism. He is back in a big way, and that was on display on Christmas — when his 30 points and 10 rebounds led the Heat to a 94-88 overtime victory over the Pelicans.

Dempsey’s take: Bosh usually isn’t mentioned as being among the best, most versatile forwards in the NBA. But, as teammate Dwyane Wade told reporters after the Heat defeated New Orleans: “He’s one of the best basketball players in the world. He may not sell a lot of jerseys, like some guys, but it doesn’t matter to him. He enjoys being great at the game, and we enjoy him being great.” Bosh, a 10-time all-star, has helped Miami get back among the East’s best teams.

He was 23 when Bryant, one of his boyhood idols, provided him with a memory that oddly enough, he’ll cherish forever.

“When I played against him in the playoffs my rookie year, it was the most exciting thing for me,” Faried said. “Kobe Bryant, my rookie year, he was in his prime playing in the playoffs. He respected me enough to give me that hard foul. I’m never going to forget that foul. I was trying to go dunk and he just came out of nowhere and just clocked me. I was like, ‘Wow, that was Kobe Bryant that did that, there.’ Just so much respect for that man.” Read more…

TyLawson (3) of the Houston Rockets gets his passing lane blocked by Will Barton (5) of the Denver Nuggets during the third quarter at the Pepsi Center on December 14, 2015 in Denver, Colorado (Photo by Brent Lewis, The Denver Post)

Houston Rockets’ guard Ty Lawson has been suspended two games for driving while ability impaired the NBA announced Friday. The suspension begins with the Rockets’ next game Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Lawson is a former Denver Nugget and was traded to the Rockets this summer. He began the season as a starter but has since lost his job. ESPN reports that his representatives are assessing his trade value with other teams.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone talks with Randy Foye during the fourth quarter of their game against Houston on December 14.(Photo by Brent Lewis/The Denver Post)

It’s easy to dismiss right now. The notion is laughable at the moment.

Or is it?

We’re talking about the playoffs here, but the Nuggets aren’t talking about the playoffs. Not right now anyway. Twenty-five games doesn’t warrant it, they say.

“It’s not even Christmas yet,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “We’re trying to get through Christmas.”

The Nuggets, however, are giving themselves the best present they could — relevancy in the playoff picture. There are many reasons for this, none the least of which is a Western Conference, which this year has limped out of the gates and is doing a role reversal with an unexpectedly stronger, deeper, Eastern Conference. Read more…

Jusuf Nurkic knew this week was a big one. Thursday morning, he got the news he’s been looking for. Nurkic was cleared by doctors to begin contact practicing, a huge step for the second-year big man who is itching to get back on the court after eight months, and counting, of no games.

Denver Nuggets guard Will Barton was all man Monday night against the Houston Rockets. He threw down one of the better dunks that we have seen this season in the NBA, after posterizing Rockets forward Donatas Motiejunas.

On Thursday, the day many already simply call Stars Wars Eve, Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic goes in for his most anticipated doctor’s appointment of the last six months.

It is the visit that could pave the way for him to be cleared for 5-on-5 contact work. In short, he’ll be able to practice fully — and once that happens, he estimates “a couple of weeks” of practicing before he makes his long-awaited season debut.

“It’s a big week for me for sure,” Nurkic said. “I just want to hear what he says.” Read more…

Nuggets shooting guard Gary Harris has missed five straight games since suffering a concussion on Nov. 27. (Brent Lewis, The Denver Post)

Amid a host of players who did not practice for the Nuggets on Wednesday was the welcome sight of one who did.

Shooting guard Gary Harris.

Harris went through his first full contact practice since suffering a concussion against the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 27. He’s missed every game since then, five in all, and the Nuggets have missed him. He was one of the Nuggets more reliable shooters and is arguably the team’s best defender. Read more…

Nuggets coach Michael Malone says he will do whatever it takes to get his team winning again. (Brent Lewis, The Denver Post)

TORONTO — On Friday, Nov. 3, 1995, Brendan Malone won the first game in Toronto Raptors history, 94-79 over the New Jersey Nets, before 33,306 very loud fans at the SkyDome.

One of those fans was the coach’s son, Michael.

“We came up as a family to watch my father and they beat the New Jersey Nets,” Malone said. “Ed Pinckney (now a Nuggets assistant) was on that team, I think he won the jump ball against Yinka Dare. Being here for the home opener in franchise history was really a special moment for our family.”

CHICAGO — In the midst of a seven-game losing streak, the Nuggets have made progress in an area that will be tested Wednesday night at Chicago.

Three-point defense.

In the last three games, the Nuggets are holding opponents to just 31 percent shooting from the arc. It’s a vast improvement from the huge numbers and percentages the team had been allowing for most of the season.

“Obviously, that’s something that we’ve done a lot better in our last three games,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone after Wednesday morning’s shootaround at the United Center. “We’re holding teams to 91 points per game in our last three, 45 percent from the field and 31 from three. That’s great because prior to that we were one of the worst 3-point shooting defensive teams in the league.” Read more…

Nuggets coach Michael Malone says he will do whatever it takes to get his team winning again. (Photo by Brent Lewis/The Denver Post)

MILWAUKEE — After the Nuggets’ seventh straight loss on Monday night at Milwaukee, coach Michael Malone took the brunt of the blame.

But he vowed not to stop swinging.

“I start with myself,” Malone said. “You lose seven games in a row, and I have to do a much better job. It’s on me as a head coach to get more out of this team. So that’s on me, and I have to do a better job moving forward because we were 6-5 at one point. It seems like ages ago. We’ve gotten far, far from that, and I just don’t know how much it hurts for those guys in that locker room. I know some guys care, some guys hate to lose. I think other guys like to win, and there’s a big difference.” Read more…

With Thanksgiving upon us, it means the Nuggets’ first 30 days of play this season are nearly in the books. On Monday, Nuggets coach Michael Malone gave his team a snapshot of where he thinks they are after the first 14 games. He shared some of that with media following practice on Monday afternoon.

This is what he said.

“I see a very young team. Obviously right now we are starting three rookies. I see a team that is banged up. Four of our top eight players are out with injuries right now, so that always makes it tough. But I see a team that is young, and when you’re young in the NBA, you’re going to be inconsistent. You see that from game-to-game, and you see that within the game from quarter-to-quarter. We’re up 51-50 (Sunday night) with two and change to go in the second quarter and they go on a 14-7 run — just mental lapses. Klay Thompson hits two threes back-to-back; our 20 turnovers. Things that I really feel that we are beating ourselves a lot more than other teams are beating us. What I mean by that is our turnovers exploit our defense. Our poor execution and poor shot selection exploit our defense. Our inability to defend the 3-point line because we are making mental mistakes is beating us. So young teams, inexperienced teams, have that. Read more…

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.